Vehicle signal



E. W. NlTZ VEHICLE SIGNAL July 12, 1927.

Filed Nov. 11.` 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 flttouego July l2 v E. iw.' NITZ VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed Nov. ll, 192 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 www f8 Im] WMZ@ dam "`l f l l 35u," 4 by w Quot/nog i Smau/bo@ July 12, 1927. 1,635,898

v E. w. NITZ f VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed Nov. 11. 1926 s sheets-sheet 5 Patented July 12, 1927.

UNITED STAT-ESV* Emir. W.`N1Tz, 'or Rocnnsfrnn, MINNESOTA;

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

Application filedv November 11,1926. Serial No. 147;,774.

The invention relates to iinprovementsin signals designed primarily for use upon automobiles, and the present disclosure is directed to a turning signal which may be actuated to show the direction in which the driver of a car intends to turn.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a signal of, the type set forth. which will be rather simple and* inexpensive. yet will be efficient and in every way desir,- able. In attaining this. end, I provide a sign and means for covering its legible portion until a turn is to be made, and itis a further object of the invention to. produce simpk and .effective means forv moving said covering means aside to display the legible portion oft the sign when a turn is to be made.

A still further aim is to make -novelv provision whereby the legible portion of the sign is illuminated when itr is exposed to view and whereby an audible electric signalfis at this time sounded, drawing vattention to the' device. i

l/Vith the lforegoing in view, the invention vresides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being. supplemented by the accompanying` drawings.

Fig. l is an elevation looking at theobportions being in their'` normally condition. *i

covered Fig. 2 is an ond elevation.

Fig. 3 isl an elevation of the reverse side of the device, illustrating some lof the Wiring lin diagram. Q l U,

Figs. 4;' and 5 are horizontal sectional views on the planes of lines-1 4 and 5--5 'otFig 1, respectively.

Fig. 6 is a verticall transverse sectionv on line 6-'6 of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 7 is a detailflongitudi'nalvertical 'section on the plane of line 7-f7' of Figli: i

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section as indicated the-lines 84--8 oit Figs; '1' and 12,- sliowing the operating means forione ofthe` pivoted covers which normally obscure the legible portions of the sign, the cover being shown in its normally closed position.`

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig; 8. but illustrating the cover swung open audits operating parts in their correspondingpositions.

Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse'section as indicated by lines 10e-10 of Figs. 4 and12, showing the operating means or the other `speciically. described, it isV to, be understood at theoutset that variations may be made.

15 designates a horizontally elongated casing of any desired construction, said casing having a vertical transverse partition 16 near i Vone of its ends, providing between itself and said end, a small compartment 17. The casing is also horizontally divided by upper and lower partitions 18 4and '19,A into compartments 20 21 and 22. The obverse side `ot the casing' is inthe torni ofa sign having legible portions 202,21 and 22 respectively,

jall pervious tolight and disposed. adjacent j the compartments 20, 21 and. 22respectively.

The portions 20. and ,21' designate left and right hand turns respectively, and the por` tion22. denotesvtlie vhome town, State or the sired provision may, of course, be made for changing the name of the town, State, etc.

, `Intlie present showing, a lower perforated portion of the sign is` held removably in place, sotliat a correspond-ing portion with a different name stamped from it, couldl Well be substituted. VIf desired, provision couldy .of course be made for sliding one name-plate into positionand removing another-nameplate, as, circumstances may dictate.

. In providing-theportions20, 21" and 22', I :prefer` to provide a metal-plate 23" to form the obverse side of the casing 15, ltocutout l' letters and arrows from this plate. as shown,

and toi cover the. cutoutv portions by .colored glass or celluloidf'as indicated 3.13.24. The

peripheraledge'of the plate 23 may be prolike in .which the .car is owned. Any deverse'side oitI the signal, its legible signaling videdl with a Vflange 251 secured by screws26 to the adjacent portion of the vcasing'l.. i The reverseside 27 of the casing 15, is also preferably formed tromfmetahiianged at 28 and secured .by screws 29 to the adjacentr portions of: the casing. This side 27carries bulb sockets20a, p21*` and22"1 for the compertinentsy 20, 21 and 22 respectively, the

bulbs' of these sockets being indicatedat '20",l

Hinged covers 31 and 32 are provided fory the legible sign portions 20 and 21 respectively, one end of the cover 31 being pron `vided with a portion 33 which projects downwardly at one end of the cover 32, for a purpose to appear, and provision is made whereby the cover 31 may be outwardly swung to indicate a left-hand turn and cover 32 may be similarly moved to indicate a right-hand turn.

In the present showing, an auxiliary casing 34 is mounted within the small compartment 17 and is provided with parallel vertical side walls 35 and 35 respectively. liotatably supported by these side walls and disposed at the inner faces thereof, are two disks 36 and 36', the axes of these disks being denoted at 37 and 37 respectively. These dis (s are connected by push links 38 and 38 with the covers 32 and 31 respectively, the wall 23 of the casing 15 being formed with receiving slots 39 and 39 through which said links pass. The portion 33 of the cover 31 closes the slot 39 when said closure is shut, as shown in Fig. 10, and the closure 32 covers the slot 39, as seen in Fig. 8. The outer ends of the links may be connected with the closures in any desired manner and it will be observed that the inner ends of 'these links are pivoted to the disks 36 and lsuch positions as to retain the closures 31 and 32 in their lowered positions at which they obscure the legible portions 20V and 21l ofthe sign. Y

Pull links 42 and 42 are pivoted to the disks 36 and 36 respeetivelyyat offcenter points, these links passing through slots in the reverse side of the casing 15 and ,being connected with appropriate wires or cables 43 and 43 which preferably lead to appropriate controls by or near the steering post, so that by effecting a pull upon either of these members Llags-F43', one or the other of the covers 31 32 may be raised as occasion may demand, to indicate the direction in which a turn will be made. Y

Secured upon the casing side 27 and disposed within one end of the auxiliary casing 34 is an insulating plate 44. Mounted against the inner side of this plate, is a vertically elongated contact 45 and two vertically spaced contacts 46 and 47. A lead wire 48 is electrically connected- With one pole of a battery 49 and leads to the vcontact A45, being connected with the latter by suitable binding post 49. lViring 50 and a binding post 51 connect the contact; 4G with the sockets 2()a and similar wiring 50 and a binding post 51', connect the contacts 47 with the sockets 21a. Movable contacts 52 and 52 are appropriately mounted on and insulated from the links 42 and 42 respectively, and when link 42 is pulled to the position of Fig. 9, to open the cover 32, the contact 52 bridges the space between the contacts 45 and 477. Then, current flows from the battery 49 through the lead wire 48, contact 45, contact 52, Contact 47, and wiring `50', to the sockets 21", illuminating the bulbs 22b to in turn illuminate the exposed portion 21 of the sign. Similarly, when the link 42 is pulled to the position of Fig. 11 to swing the cover 31 outwardly, the Contact 52 bridges the space between the contacts 45 and 46. Then, current fiows from the battery 49 through the lead wire 48, through the contacts 45, 52 and 46, and through 'the wiring 50 to the sockets 20n illuminating the bulbs 20b-to light up the signaling portion 20 of the device. In tbe present showing, the sockets 20, 21 and 22 have one terminal grounded upon a metallic casing part, and this part is in turn grounded upon the frame of the machine, as indicated at 53 in Fig. 3.

The audible alarm 3() has 011e of its terminals grounded to a metallic casing part, a wire 54 being shown for this purpose in Fig. 2. Two Wires 55 and 55', lead to the other terminal of this alarm, from the contacts 52 and 52 respectively. By this at rangement, as soon as either of these contacts engages the contact 45, the circuit of the alarm 30 is completed, so that the latter is sounded. It will be observed that this sounding takes place simultaneously with uncovering and illuminating of either of the sign portions 20-21. Thus, the attention of persons, particularly drivers in the vicinity of the machine about to turn, have their attention directedv tothe signaling device and seeing the latter illuminated, they cannot fail to understand in what direction it will turn.

50a designates wiring for `the sockets 22, which wiring and the wiring 50-50, may have switches to remain open during dayslight, ifv desired.

pivoted to the disk and to the aforesaid cover for outwardly swinging the latter when the disk is turned in one direction, the casing being formed with a slot through which said link passes, and means for effecting turning oi' said disk.

In a vehicle signal, a casing, a sign forming one wall thereof, a plurality of hinged covers normally covering obverse portions of said sign, a plurality of co-axial Adisks mounted side by side in one end of the casing in planes' at right angles to the plane in which the sign is disposed, individual push. links pivoted to said-disks and to the aforesaid covers for outwardly swingingthe latter, the casing being slotted for the reception of said links, and means for independently turning said disks.

3. In a vehicle signal, a horizontal main casing` having one side formed by a sign, sign-illuminating means in the casing, an auxiliary casing in one end of the main casing, said sign having a slot which opens into the auxiliary casing, a cover hinged to said sign and normally covering said slot and the legible portion ot' the sign, a'push link passing through said slot and pivoted to said cover, an actuator movably mounted in said auxiliary casing and connected with said push link for outwardly forcing the latter to swing the aforesaid cover open, and means extending into said auxiliary casing and connected to said actuator for effecting operation ofV the latter.

l. In a vehicle signal, a horizontal main casing having one side formed by a sign, sign-illuminating means in the casing, an auxiliary casing in one endportion of the main casing and having parallel vertical sido plates at right angles to the plane of sai-l sign, said sign having upper and lower legible portions and upper and lower slots at endsV thereof, said slots opening into said auxiliary casing, two hinged covers normally covering said legible sign portions and said slots, t-wo disks rotatably connected with and disposed at the inner sides of said side plates respectively, push links passing through said slot-s and pivoted at their outer ends to .said covers respectively, the inner ends of said links being pivoted to said disks respectively at oil-center points, means for' turning said disks independently, including two pull'links passing into the auxiliary casing and pivoted to said disks respectively at off-center points, and spring means in the auxiliary casing for restoring the disks to normal position after actuation to open either of said covers.

5. A vehicle signal comprising a horizontally elongated casing having a vertical transverse partitionnear one end providinga small compartment between itself and said one end, and a horizontal partition extending from the other end of the casing to said vertical transverse partition, providing two superposed compartments; the obverse side of said casing being provided with a sign whose legible portions are permeable to light and form side walls of said superposed compartments, illuminating means for said legibleportions mounted in said superposed compartments, swingable covers normally closing said legible portions, and Vmeans for outwardly swinging said closures, including parts mounted in said small compartment. Y f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

EMIL W. NITZ. 

